Method of determining contour characteristics of a golf green



March 14, 1967 s. B- SPONDER METHOD OF DETERMINING CONTOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOLF GREEN Filed June 18, 1964 R O T N E V m STEPHEN B. 5P0 NOE/"1? ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,308,541 METHDD 0F DETERMINING CONTOUR CHAR- ACTERISTICS DE A GOLF GREEN Stephen B. Spender, 3701 E. 13th St., Wichita, Karts. 67208 Filed June 18, 1964, Ser. No. 376,171 1 Claim. (Cl. 33-46) This invention relates to a novel visual aid for use by a golfer in determining the contour of a golf green between his ball and the cup, to enable the golfer to determine whether the ball should be stroked lightly or firmly for a downhill or uphill roll, respectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sighting device through the use of which the golfer can determine the contour of the green crosswise of the direction of travel of the ball from its lie to the cup, to enable the golfer to make allowance for a transverse sloping contour.

While it is a primary object of the invention to provide a putting aid principally for novice golfers, the present invention provides a sighting device which may be beneficially employed by experienced golfers, especially when playing courses with golf greens which are unfamiliar to them.

Still another object of the invention is to provide sighting device of extremely simple construction which may be readily carried in a garment pocket; and which can be effectively used without special knowledge or training.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the sighting device;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof, and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views on reduced scales illustrating the sighting device as it appears in use.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the sighting device in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 6 and comprises a single rigid flat plate of an unbreakable transparent material 7, such as plastic.

The plate 7 is preferably rectangular and is shown having a length greater than the width thereof and provided with three straight transverse stripes, 8, 9 and 10. The stripes 9 and 10 extend across the two ends of the plate 7 and the stripe 8 is disposed midway between the stripes 9 and 1t and parallel thereto. The longitudinal stripe 11 extends from end to end of the plate 7, between the end stripes 9 and 1t and intersects at a right angle with the intermediate stripe 8, preferably intermediate of the ends of said stripe 8. Two stripes 12 and 13 extend from end to end of the plate 7 and are inclined relative to the stripe 11. The stripes 12 and 13 converge with one another from the end stripes 9 and 10 so as to cross one another and the stripe 11 at the intersection of the stripe 11 with the intermediate stripe 8.

The stripes 8 to 13 may be formed of any color which will readily contrast with the golf green, such as black, white or yellow. The stripes 8, 9 and 16 are preferably wider than the stripes 11, 12 and 13, as clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1. The stripes 813 may be applied to one or both sides of the plate 7 in any conventional manner.

The sighting device 6 is of a size to enable it to be conveniently carried in a garment pocket and to be conveniently held, as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, between the thumb 14 and index finger 15 of either hand, with the thumb and finger engaging the longitudinal edges 16 of the plate.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the sighting device 6 in use, being held by the golfer kneeling alongside of a golf green 17 with the longitudinal stripe 11 disposed substantially horizontal and the stripes 8, 9 and 10 disposed substantially vertical. The sighting device 6 is adjusted in front of an eye of the golfer or observer, not shown, until the point of intersection of the stripes 8 and 11 is centered on the cup or hole 18 of the golf green 17. The golfer then observes the location of his ball 19, which in FIG- URE 3 is located to the right of the cup 18, from his viewing position which is approximately cross-wise or at a right angle to the path that the ball will travel when propelled with a putter toward the cup. As illustrated in FIGURE 3 the ball 19 is above the horizontal stripe 11 and is substantially in alignment with a part of the diagonal stripe 12 which is disposed above said horizontal stripe; however, the ball 19 might be higher or lower than as illustrated, depending upon the slope of the green between the ball and the cup. This will visually indicate to the golfer that the putting stroke will be made downbill so that a lighter than normal stroke will be required. If the ball 19 was to the left rather than to the right o f the cup 18, as seen in FIGURE 3, and uphill with respect to said cup, then the ball would be on, above or beneath the part of the stripe 13 which is disposed above the horizontal stripe 11.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the sighting device 6 used in the same manner as heretofore described in reference to FIGURE 3, but in connection with a golf green 20 having a different slope. In FIGURE 4 the ball 19 is again shown to the right of the cup 21 but on the part of the stripe 13 which is disposed beneath the horizontal stripe 11, thereby indicating that the putt will be uphill to the cup, so that a firmer putting stroke will be required for the distance involved, in order for the ball to reach the cup.

When the sighting is made from a distance of approximately ten feet from the cup, the sighting device 6 is held in a vertical plane at an elevation of approximately two feet above the level of the cup. As the distance of the sighting from the cup increase-s the elevation of the sightin-g device 6 can be increased, whereas when the distance to the cup is reduced the elevation of the sighting device is reduced.

The sighting device 6 can also be used from other positions than approximately at right angle to the direc tion of the putt. For example, the user may place himself in alignment with the ball and cup and with the ball between the sighting device and the cup to observe any transverse sloping of the terrain of the green between the ball and the cup. This can best be accomplished by placing some objects between the ball and the cup to the right and left of the line of sight. If one of said objects then appears above the horizontal stripe 11 and the other object appears below said horizontal stripe, the user will thus know that the green has an incline crosswise of the direction of the putt and may compensate for this by directing the putt toward the uphill side of the slope so that the :ball can traverse a curved course toward the cup.

Numerous other uses for the sighting device will become apparent to the golfer and will enable the golfer to easily determine the contour of a green between his ball and the cup, so that a putting stroke may be accomplished with a maximum of accuracy.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A method of determining contour characteristics of a golf green between the cup and a golf ball comprising observing the golf green through a transparent plate from a position at approximately a right angle to a line' extending between the cup and golf ball, said plate having markings of a color contrasting With the color of the golf green including horizontal and vertical lines forming an intersection between top and bottom edges of the plate and other markings having portions which are spaced laterally from said intersection and disposed different distances from said top and bottom edges, positioning the plate with said top and bottom edges in substantially horizontal planes, locating said intersection on the observers line of sight to the cup, and visually determining the elevation of the ball relative to the cup by observing its location with respect to said other markings.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 1/1942 Great Britain.

LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Examiner. 

